Blank book



(No Model.)

P. .BOWMAN BLANK BOOK.

No. 467,851. l APatented Jan. 26, 1892.

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Nrrnio STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK BOIVMAN, OF BROOKLYN, NElV YORK.

BLANK BOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 467,851, dated January 26, 1892.

Application filed November 9, 1891. Serial No. 411,301. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK BowMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Blank Books, of which the follow1ng is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, Figure l is an end View of the book closed. Fig. 2 is an end elevation ot the book opened and partly in sectional view. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the book opened. This invention relates to an improvement 1n scrap-books or invoice-books; and it has for its objects to provide a book of simple construction the leaves of which will lay approximately flatwhen the book is opened and to provide for spacing the sections of the book any desired distance apart, as will presently appear.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts fully hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims appended.

As shown in the drawings,I employ a rigid concaved back a and secure to it by means ot` strong flexible fabrics c the covers b b. This fabric c is in two sections, the sections being secured on the opposite sides of the back-strip an d covers by glueing or other suitable means, thus enveloping the back-strip. The two fabrics composing the sections are brought together between the longitudinal edges of the back and covers and glued or secured to each other in any suitable manner for a short distance, usually about a half an inch in a fullsized book, as shown at CZ, thus forming a flexible connection between the covers and the rigid back, for a purpose hereinafter described.

To the covers I) l is glued or secured by other suitable means the flexible inner back e, to which the signatures or sections f of the book are secured by stitching or otherwise. This flexible back-strip extends from the inner edge of one cover across the flexible connections d d and the concavity of the back a to the inner edge of the other cover and is extended outon each cover a sufficient distance to insure a strong fastening to the same. The object of thus securing the flexible back to the covers and extending it across the flexible connections d and the rigid back a is to cause it to be drawn taut when the book is opened and the covers thrown out flat, as shown in Fig. 2, and also to permit it to conform to the concavity of the book a when the book is closed, as shown in Fig. l.

As shown in Fig. l of the drawings, when the book is closed the flexible connections between the covers and the rigid back permit the covers to be drawn inwardly and down wardly by the weight of the leaves bearing on the flexible back-strip, thus permitting this strip to conform to the concavity of the rigid back.

As shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, when the book is opened and the covers thrown out flat the weight of the covers and the leaves force the inner edges of the covers downwardly and draw the flexible back taut across the concavity of the rigid back, which permits the leaves of the book to lie flat, or approximately so, as shown. The flexible back c extends the full length of the leaves of the book, and the sections or signatures are secured to it the desired distances apart by stitching or otherwise.

I am aware that a book having a concaved rigid outer back enveloped by fabrics, said fabrics forming flexible connections with the covers of the book, and a flexible inner back extending across the concavity of the outer back and to which the signatures are secured, has been used, and I desire it understood that I do not broadly claim said construction as my invention; but what I do claim is providing a book having a concaved rigid outer back and the flexible connections with the inner edge of the covers with a flexible inner back which will be drawn taut (in a straight line) across the concavity of the rigid back when the book is opened out flat, thereby causing the leaves of said back to lie approximately flat.

Another important advantage in so securing the flexible inner back so that it will be drawn taut across the concavity of the outer back is that it braces said back against any strains that tend to flatten said concaved back, such as resting the hands and arms on IOO the leaves when writing in the book or the pressure put upon the book when posting invoices or other papers on its leaves, as is obvious.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a blank book, the combination of a stiff concaved back strip, covers secured thereto at their inner edges by exible connections,a exible inner back secured to the covers at their inner edges and extending across the concavity of the rigid back, and the flexible connections with the covers, said inner back being drawn taut in a straight line across the concavty of the outer back When the book is opened out flat, substantially as described.

2. In a blank boolgthe combination of the stiff convex back-strip a and the covers b l), the fabrics c c, enveloping'the back-strip and embracing the adjacent edges of the covers,

spaces d cl being left between the strip and' 

